


If heaven exists

by Mellilla_Williams



Category: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Movies)
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Love Confessions, Older Man/Younger Woman, Smut, True Love, age gap, i think i wrote smut?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:29:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28769358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mellilla_Williams/pseuds/Mellilla_Williams
Summary: Bethany never got over Alex slipping through her fingers. If only she knew he'd been pining after her the whole time as well.The next level of Jumanji forces them back into each other's lives and letting go this time around seems impossible and completely unnecessary.
Relationships: Alex Vreeke/Bethany Walker
Comments: 2
Kudos: 51





	If heaven exists

**Author's Note:**

> I think this counts as smut? Literally the first sex scene I've ever written... This is not how it was supposed to go. I was strivingfor the whole "No, Bethany, we can't" side of age gap where he feels guilt and shit and this is not that. Not at all. God, but it just went there and when I realized I could go to the smut direction I opened this "seggs" playlist on spotify and listened to it and well, this is the result.

It had been two years since the game. Two whole years Bethany had been a better person and as she looked back on that time she couldn't have been more proud of herself. She'd been building houses, working at the homeless shelter, collecting money for those in need and helped many people during those two years. She came from a place of very much privilege; she was rich, white and lived in a safe place where the possibility of natural disasters was low. She'd been sheltered and vain because she'd been ignorant, but the game and hanging out with Martha had opened her eyes to a whole new world.

Also, she'd gotten to travel to amazingly beautiful places and had a successful Instagram account to show for it so it's not like she had given up much when she'd changed.

She still thought of _him,_ though. Alex Vreeke. Sometimes she fantasized about him, how her life would be if they were dating. If only life had allowed her the one thing she'd wanted the most after leaving the game.

She understood him though. She'd been only 18 then. She and the rest had probably just seemed like a bunch of silly teens to him. If she was 37, would she have wanted to spend time with high-school seniors? Unlikely. She'd often thought of how he saw the world in general. It had been twenty years for him, after all. Did he even remember the game vividly anymore? Did he care? Was he still the same person, a drummer, cool and mischievous?

Fridge had created a group chat for the five of them back in December two years ago. And they'd talk some on there at first, mostly about the game. But it had quickly quieted down. Alex had sort of dropped out of the equation, abandoned her. Well, abandoned all of them. Spencer had been the one to create another group chat without Alex in.

She often opened his Facebook profile and almost messaged him. She wanted to, but never did. What would she say? Hey, I miss your face even though you look nothing like a Jonas brother and are twice my age. Hey, what's up? I know you named your kid after me so it's obviously not creepy at all you're all I want?

Not a chance.

She was at the airport now, with a plan to return back home. She wished she'd dressed more warmly because she was going back home and hell, it was winter up North. She only hoped her mom remembered to bring her winter coat when she came to get her. She also hoped her friends had a safe trip, and that she would not see Alex while in Brantford.

It had been easy for the most part, not thinking about Alex so much she went insane when she was busy traveling and meeting new people. Even when she'd gotten countless date offers and turned each and every one of them down because of him. But now, going back, knowing she was about to walk the same streets he did, with the possibility of running into him in a restaurant or the grocery store or whatever, it wasn't so easy anymore. He was on her mind even if she tried to push him away.

She was happy to meet the rest of the team soon though. Martha, Spencer, Fridge... They'd all went and achieved great things. Fridge had a scholarship for Christ's sake! Martha was doing amazing, studying feminist literature and writing a blog and Spencer? Spencer was studying coding _and_ worked full-time. She couldn't wait to hear all about it in person, though. Still, knowing she might not see Alex at all or hear what he was up to was killing a part of her inside.

The flight was a lot faster than she'd anticipated and was relieved to see her mom _with_ her winter coat. During the drive home she could hardly keep up with all the questions her mom was asking but she wasn't annoyed. It provided adequate distraction from _him_ until they drove past freak house and she felt her heart break once again. Her mom didn't notice anything and she was glad, trying to get lost in her mother's babbling.

And it was all fine. It really was, Bethany kept it together. And she still kept it together when she met Martha and Fridge, and when the three of them made their way to Spencer's because that boy was _nowhere_ and refused to answer texts or calls.

It was only when they spotted the all too familiar video game console and everyone but _she_ got sucked in it that she _couldn't_ keep it together. She made it to the car shaking, and momentarily she thought she was going insane, or was dying, or _whatever._ She screamed in frustration and hit the damn steering wheel with her hand so hard it was wonder the airbag's didn't activate.

Only one person could fix this. And that person was the one person she'd decided she would have to avoid like plague because if she saw him she'd probably _completely_ lose it. However, when she considered her options, did she have a choice? She couldn't get in the game on her own because the cursed console was broken or something, and she knew Alex was like an older version of Spencer, a total geek. He'd probably have some level of knowledge of the game to make it run again. He was also the only person outside her group, that she knew of, that was familiar with Jumanji anyway.

Hands shaking she started the car. She knew what street Alex lived on because two years ago she'd been a total creep and found out everything she could about him and could only hope he still lived there.

The house was decorated for Christmas. The wreathes and the lights screamed the holidays but she was not feeling happy. She wanted to disappear. There was no way he would want to see her. That he'd want to see any of them or have anything to do with that stupid game. He had his own life.

Nevertheless, negligent of anyone's feelings or wants she took a look in the mirror, fixed her hair and rehearsed a fake smile. The expression she came up with was honestly way too convincing.

And she begged to heavens and to any and all gods out there that it was Alex who opened the door when she rang the bell and not his wife.

It was _little Bethany_ who answered. She took a deep breath before interacting with the child. And oh god, soon there was Alex, looking at her with wonder and confusion and something she couldn't identify. Alex, who was even more handsome she'd remembered, Alex, towards whom a magnetic pull inside her existed, now stronger than ever. Alex, who was not meant for _her_ but was looking at her with tears brimming around his eyes anyway.

And with that she asked him if she could talk to him and he grew serious, invited her in and sent the kid of to continue with her coloring books. And he'd called the little girl _Beth_ and not _Bethany_ and while it was such a small detail, somehow it gave her hope. Hope that was completely misplaced when her friends were in an alternative universe actively being killed.

And she was so certain he was going to send her off on her own, but when she explained the situation he took a deep breath and told her to wait. And he made a call, and soon they were in his car, she and him and the kids and it was weird as fuck. Quiet and uncomfortable and _amazing_ because she could smell his cologne and he had the radio on and sure enough, it was playing metal, and the kids were sleeping on the backseat, but she felt whole.

He dropped the kids at freak house, well, old man Vreeke's house, and when he climbed in he was acting like a complete different man. He was out of the dad mode and was a lot more relaxed in some ways but more tense in others, and he asked question after question about how or why Spencer had fixed the game and she didn't have half the answers but he never pressed, just asked another one.

It was pure business but it was Alex, and she got to sit next to him and look at him, and listen to his voice and it was bliss.

 _Bliss_ , until they were back in that horrible game, and it was chaos and as scary as it had been the last time, and she no longer had the Alex she wanted near her.

Seaplane was a stranger; Alex and the avatar became one and into this _person_ that wasn't quite neither. And sure, he was a little different than the last time because the real Alex wasn't _sixteen_ anymore but one of Seaplane's strengths was confidence and strategy and it created a stark difference to the unsure, shy and fumbly Alex she'd met in the real world. She didn't want _Seaplane,_ she wanted Alex. All of him.

She wasn't completely herself in the game either. Sheldon as an avatar didn't make her into a fundamentally different person but it did change her. She'd missed it in some ways but the round body had its limitations moving-wise and it was discouraging. She trusted her mind and pretended her confidence carried over from the real world and in the end it was fine, and they were alive, and they'd _done_ what they'd come to do. It hurt to know she'd go back to her normal life without Alex.

They reappeared in Spencer's basement and she looked at her body and loved what she saw again, and Alex, the _real_ Alex was looking at her too, wordlessly asking if she was okay. And she nod and gave him a shallow smile she thought he was gonna buy but it was evident on his face that he didn't.

All Bethany wanted then was to get home and to get as far away from him as possible. It was too painful to be this close to him yet so far at the same time. Still, her car was at his place and she had to climb in his car after looking at Martha with wide eyes and she swore they had a whole conversation with their eyebrows alone but now she was in Alex's minivan and she was focusing on her breathing.

”So, uh, how's life been? You went traveling?”, he asked after a while, desperate to end the silence that had falled between them in the car. He felt like he sounded robotic but anything was better than the quiet.

”Yeah... South America, mostly. How have you been?” She cringed internally. She sounded dumb and shallow but didn't exactly want to start bragging either.

”Good, good. Working from home mostly, so opposite of what you've been up to”. He was a computer programmer which Bethany knew from when they were still talking to each other. Before he'd abandoned them all.

She hummed and smiled weakly. He was tapping the steering wheel to the beat of the music, creating a whole new rhythm on top of the already existing drums and base. It was quiet for a moment.

”I, uh, I follow you on Instagram”, he admitted and she looked at him but his face was blank. He moved zero muscle apart from swallowing and tensing his jaw when she didn't answer right away.

”Yeah?”, She breathed out eventually. He glanced at her and was met with curiosity.

”Yes. It's amazing, the things you've done”. When she didn't answer he let out that _she_ was amazing too.

”Thank you”.

They arrived at his house. For a moment neither moved a muscle.

”Would you, would you like to come in? For, for coffee?”, he asked and even though he stumbled over his words he pushed through. The last thing he wanted for her to disappear so soon.

The quiet _yeah_ she muttered breathlessly was all he wanted to hear.

When she stepped inside his home and he lead her to the kitchen she took in as much visual information as she could. It was so homely, the shoe rack was a little messy, filled with little Beth's winter shoes, glittery princess-shoes abandoned on the floor in front of it, and then there were little Andy's shoes, and there were his shoes but the only women's shoes that were in sight were _hers._ Did he know she noticed?

The fridge door was filled with drawings. One caught her eye. It had three figures on it, and on it were scribbled ”me, dad, Andy”. No mention of mother. Where was his wife? It was then she noticed he wasn't wearing a ring either.

She was shaken from her thoughts when he called her name.

”I was just asking if you want milk”, he asked, gesturing to the cup in front of him, a milk carton in his hand.

”Yeah, thanks. I was just looking at these. They're precious”, she commented and smiled and nodded her head towards the drawings.

”Thank you”, he said and handed over the coffee cup. It had a picture of pac-man on the side of it and she accepted it with a smile, though when they're fingers brushed up against each other she licked her lip and swallowed.

”Please, sit down”, he instructed and they did. He asked her about her work and she asked him about his, and it was super proper at first but the conversation was still flowing and she was thankful for it. And it wasn't long before they were laughing as if they were old friends and not reunited near-strangers who were secretly pining after each other.

But all good things came to an end, and so did the good time they were having when Alex mentioned something about his divorce and she got serious.

”Is that why you stopped keeping in touch?” She asked and her voice was desperate and she hated it but tears were threatening to fall.

He sighed and his brows furrowed. How was she going to react to the truth, if he told her? Was she going to freak out and leave and never talk to him again? Still, he didn't want to lie to her.

”No”, he said an set his coffee cup on the table before turning his body to face her even when his gaze couldn't. ”No. That was- that was just me, being stupid about the age difference”.

”It's not stupid, Alex”

”Yes it is. I got so far up in my head, and then Beth's mother found out I'd been talking to you, and she-”, he said and let out a big sigh before continuing- ”Called me a creep and I guess, I guess I believed it”.

Bethany's heart was breaking and she grasped his hand.

”It's the biggest mistake of my life, when I stopped talking to you guys. I'd just gotten you back. And I didn't, I didn't know _how_ to start talking to you guys again, especially you, Bethany”.

And he was sorrowful and apologetic and ashamed but it was the best thing Bethany could've imagined to hear.

”I didn't know how to, either”, she said.

”Fuck, I wanted to, so bad”.

”Tell me about it”, she said and momentarily fell into her thoughts. All that time, just waiting. Waiting instead of texting him herself, falling into misery and loneliness rather than just picking up the phone in fear of embarrassment or being a bother. It seemed silly.

Then she realized, his divorce, surely she wasn't the reason that- oh. _Christ._

”Alex, you didn't divorce because-” she started but just gestured messily between them.

”Oh god no. No. You're cool, Bethany. No, um, there was someone else. For her”, he said and his eyebrows furrowed for a second, thinking about whether it was getting too personal and if he was making her uncomfortable, but she was still holding his hand and looking at him with wide and sorrowful eyes. She looked sad but comfortable.

”That's-”

”Yep”

She got lost in her thoughts. Why would any woman _ever_ cheat on a man like Alex? He was handsome and kind, and thoughtful, funny and amazing and literally _everything_ good a man could be. And while she was lost in her thoughts he was looking at her and he could almost see her heart break when she processed the information.

”Have you met anyone since then?”, she asked after a while, not meeting his eyes.

”No. What about, have you-”, he stopped mid-sentence to think what he was doing. The girl was 20 years old and beautiful, smart and _all that_ and there was no way-

”No. There never was anyone after- well.” Whether she was referring to the game or him the point still stood; she was single and had been for two whole years.

”I should go-”, she suddenly said and hastily stood up.

”Wait!”, he reached after her and grabbed her arm. She looked at him, and then at his hand, and then at him again but words died in her throat.

”Why”, his voice was barely audible when he asked, and she gazed at his mouth when he licked his lips and she shut her eyes for a moment to stop any possible tears from rising up and to calm herself.

”You know why”, she said, eyes watering as she looked straight at the ground.

”No, I don't. Tell me. Please”

And she tried not to. She refused to. What would he make with that information? Why was he asking? Why couldn't he just let her go, back to her life travelling and doing charity work, why did he force her to open up her heart and lay out her feelings in front on him like this, exposed and weak? But he squeezed her hand and his thumb brushed against the inside of her wrist and when she lifted her eyes to look at him instead of her feet he was looking at her with desperation and she had to tell him. She wanted him to hear it, if only to let her go alone once she'd told him.

”I was waiting for you”

And with that his whole composure broke. He pulled her into a crushing embrace and wept into her hair and she wrapped her arms around him and focused on breathing in his intoxicating scent. His sweater was soft and warm against her cheek and she could hear his heart beat in his chest, fast and strong. Tears were running down her cheeks at this point as well and she squeezed the fabric in her chest to have something to hold onto,

”I can't believe I let you go”, he murmured into her hair. ”Not a day passed I didn't wish, didn't hope-”

”I thought of you every single day”, she added.

”And I thought of you”.

Bethany made her decision right then and there and stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. His mouth was hot and inviting and god, she couldn't get enough. But he pulled away when she gently touched his lower lip with her tongue, begging for more. And her heart could've broken right there, would've if he hadn't rested his forehead against hers to just exist there for a moment, holding her close and coming to terms with this thing.

Neither spoke but they didn't need words. Everything they needed to say or hear had been spoken and listened to, and they no longer needed nothing but the love and peace between them. The heat that had pooled in her stomach, the need he felt-

If perfection existed, heaven, _bliss,_ this was it. In each other's arms; After endless prayers made during lonely nights and loveless days; This was the seventh heaven, the paradise, the _everything_ that humankind strived for; Loving and being loved by one another.

Being like this was everything she could've hoped for, everything he'd been fantasizing about since he was sixteen. The love they felt for each other was surrounding them like a wildfire as they stood in the middle of it, peaceful, loved, and god, so happy and content.

”i love you”, she whispered.

He kissed her then; carefully and lovingly, and she responded with such desperation it left him speechless, and they kissed and kissed until she was breathless and wanton and he was feverish and so deep into his desire he couldn't believe the woman of his dreams was here now; eager to be held and to be touched and kissed and he delivered.

He took her to his bedroom and kissed her all over; clothes became lesser and lesser until there were _none_ , and she was holding onto him like he was her savior and looking at him like he was her everything, and he was touching her like she was precious and the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid his eyes upon because it was true.

And he kissed her on her sex and used his fingers to prepare her for what was to come, and she tasted sweet like honey when he brought his fingers up to his mouth to taste her. He used his mouth on her until she was a whimpering mess beneath him and her release came with his name on the tip of her tongue. He savored the taste and she pulled him into a blinding kiss so she could taste it too, and god-

She spread her legs open so eagerly, pulled him flush against her heat until he was quivering with need and he had to take a deep breath to stay sane but the scent of her perfume was making his head spin.

”Please”, she begged as she guided him to her entrance and when he ever-so-gently pushed in and began moving she exploded into more delightful whimpers and broken cries and he was so enamoured by her that his release came soon and she became undone under him once more.

Her second climax left her spent and he was still trembling when he laid down next to her and she pressed her body against his and held onto him as she came down from the high.

It was then that he spoke those three words; muttered them to her hair and held her until they fell into a restful sleep. This was their little heaven and it was more than either could've ever dared to wish for.


End file.
